


A Subtle Shift

by Nigoras



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Storyshift (Undertale), Gen, Ghost Chara (Undertale), My First AO3 Post, Storyshift Chara (Undertale), Storyshift Papyrus (Undertale), Storyshift Sans (Undertale)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:34:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29289162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigoras/pseuds/Nigoras
Summary: Frisk and Chara keep resetting in a vain attempt to save Asriel. They've tried asking Sans and Alphys for help, they've tried to get Asgore and Toriel's help, hell, they've even tried giving Asriel their soul, only for him to refuse. Frisk resets again expecting yet another failed attempt at saving Asriel. At first, things go like normal. Flowey says his little 'introduction' and they get saved by... Papyrus...?
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28





	1. Something New

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes some elements from the Preboot and some elements from the Reboot of Storyshift.  
> Not sure if Storyshift BELONGS to anyone but in case it does, I don't own it and I am not the creator of it, either.
> 
> Ghost Chara speaks in Italics.

“Well, that’s another tally added to the list” you murmur.   
“Better luck next time, huh.”   
  
_“_ _Hey, 67_ _th_ _try. Maybe we’ll get a_ _prize at 75._ _”_ Comments Chara, sarcastically.

“Alright.” youthink “Let’s go.”   
  
**R** **ESET**   
  
*YES NO   
  
  
Falling...   
  
Falling...   
  
Falling...   
  
Falling...   
  
**_SPLAT_**   
  
“I am NEVER going to get used to that fall.” You say as you sit up.   
  
_“Well, let’s go_ _, Flowey’s waiting for us.”_   
  
You and Chara make your way past the pillars, through the old door. There, you follow the path towards that patch of grass. Flowey is there as usual ready to give his ‘introduction’.   
  
“Howdy! I’m Flowey, Flowey the flower.”   
“You’re new to the underground, Aren' Tcha? Golly, you must be so confused!”   
“Somebody ought to teach you how things work down here! I guess little ol’ me will have to do.” Cheers Flowey.   
  
You wonder if Flowey will ever remember the resets, Youwonder if he’d remember if enough resets were to happen. Or maybe he could remember if extra determination were to be injected into him. Who knows? By the time You finish your thought process, the ‘friendliness pellets’ are already buried into your skin.   
  
“You IDIOT!” Flowey cackles.   
“In this world, it’s kill or be killed! Why would ANYBODY pass up an opportunity like this!?”   
“Die.” he hisses, before laughing menacingly.   
  
_“Well, here comes Mo-”_ Chara says before being interrupted by Flowey being hit by a... Bone?

“What the...”You blurt out.   
  
Papyrus is in the room, donning some sort of suit. You and Chara look at each other, shocked. Papyrus quickly runs to you, concerned for your health.   
  
“WHAT A TERRIBLE WEED, ATTACKING AN INNOCENT CHILD.”   
“FEAR NOT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HEAL YOU” Shouts Papyrus.   
  
“Chara... What’s going on... What is Papyrus doing in the ruins.” You think as you look at Chara.   
  
Chara simply shrugs “I am just as confused as you are. Let’s get to the bottom of this.”    
  
Papyrus slips you 2 monster candies “EAT THESE, YOUNG HUMAN! THEY WILL HEAL YOU BACK TO OPTIMUM HEALTH” You slip them both in your mouth and look to Papyrus.   
“FOLLOW ME, I SHALL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE RUINS, AND ULTIMATELY TO MY RESIDENCE,” Says Papyrus, rather enthusiastically.   
  
You, along with Chara, walkwith Papyrus into the Ruins. Before following Papyrus up the stairs, You save. _“Come on Frisk, Stay determined.”_ Chara suggests _“Just act natural.”_ Younod as you follow Papyrus up the staircase and into the room.   
  
“WELCOME TO THE RUINS, HUMAN!”   
“THE RUINS ARE FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH PUZZLES, HANDMADE BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” Papyrus exclaims.   
  
Papyrus urges you to do the puzzle, which you are a bit _puzzled_ by, since Toriel always did this puzzle for you. Youwalk up to the plaque and read it “At least the puzzles haven’t changed.” You mutter. You quickly solve the puzzle, which impresses Papyrus “WOWIE, THAT WAS QUICK!” remarks Papyrus “VERY IMPRESSIVE, HUMAN! YOU SEEM TO HAVE TALENT! NOW FOLLOW ME TO THE NEXT ROOM!”    
  
You follow Papyrus to the other room“Hey, Chara.” You think “If Papyrus is in the Ruins, where is Mom?”   
  
“HUMAN! SINCE YOU DID THE PREVIOUS PUZZLE SO QUICKLY, THIS ONE WILL PROBABLY BE EASY FOR YOU!!”   
“EVEN SO, DEAR HUMAN! I HAVE INDICATED THE CORRECT SWITCHES WITH ARROWS!”   
  
You go to the first switch and pull it _“_ _I’m not sure... Maybe Mom_ _is in_ _Snowdin_ _._ _”_ _Chara questions as you_ pull the second switch and walk towards Papyrus “AS EXPECTED FROM SUCH A TALENTED YOUNG HUMAN, NYEH HEH HEHHEH!” says Papyrus, while nodding and walking towards the next room.   
  
“HUMAN, NOW THAT YOU ARE LIVING IN THE UNDERGROUND, MONSTERS MAY START A ‘FIGHT’ WITH YOU.”   
“IF YOU ENTER A FIGHT, BE SURE TO START UP A CONVERSATION WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS TO RESOLVE IT.”    
“YOU MAY PRACTISE WITH THIS DUMMY, DEAR HUMAN!”   
  
You walk up to the dummy andsay “How’s your day going dummy?” The dummy, In response, does literally nothing because it’s a dummy. Papyrus looks happy with your handy work. “EXCELLENT, HUMAN! BY NOW I WILL HAVE COME TO RESOLVE THIS FIGHT!”   
“FOLLOW ME, HUMAN!”   
  
You follow Papyrus and start to think “Hmmm,” you say. _“What is it, Frisk?”_ Asks Chara. “This whole situation is weird... I think we broke the timeline or something.” you state “We have to find Sans and fast!”suddenly a Froggit jumps towards you “Meow” it meows. “Hello there, you, uh... jump really well,” you say, awkwardly.   
  
“MR. FROGGIT, PLEASE BACK AWAY FROM THE HUMAN. I AM TRYING TO SHOW THEM AROUND THE RUINS” The froggit nods and jumps away.   
  
“Well Frisk, Chara asks “We don’t know for sure if Sans even knows about the timelines here. What if the timeline is so fucked that Sans hasn’t got a clue?” Before you can continue Papyrus suddenly stops “THIS PUZZLE MAY BE TOO DANGEROUS FOR EVEN YOU, YOUNG HUMAN!” He grasps your hand, and you walk through the spike puzzle unscathed.   
  
“HUMAN, YOU’VE BEEN PROVEN TO BE EXTREMELY SMART. THUS, I WILL TRUST YOU TO WALK THROUGH THE REST OF THE RUINS, TOWARDS MY RESIDENCE ALONE!” You look up to him a little surprised. “DO NOT FRET, HUMAN, FOR I HAVE A SPARE CELLPHONE THAT I SHALL LEND YOU. FEEL FREE TO CALL IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THE PUZZLES.” He says as he walks off to the end of the hallway.    
  
You start walking to the end of the hallway “We have to figure this out, see just how different this timeline is compared to the normal one.”   
_“Yeah_ _..._ _Also Frisk?”_ Chara asks _“Flowey seemed to be well... The usual Flowey._ _Which is good, at least Flowey is recognizable.”_ you nod your head in agreement as you head towards the save point in the next room.   
  
You touch the save point.  
_“Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination.”_   
  
_HP FULLY RESTORED_   
_FILE SAVED_   
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Journey To His Residence

Flowey’s POV   
  
\--------------------   
  
“What the hell was Papyrus doing in the Ruins?” he thought, before just shrugging it off “Whatever, I’ll try next time.”   
  
**LOAD**   
  
***** YES NO   
  
LOAD FAILED.   
  
“What the...” he muttered before trying to LOAD his SAVE again.   
  
**LOAD**   
  
***** YES NO   
  
LOAD FAILED.   
  
Absolutely seething, he fires pellets at rock “OUCH! W-What the?!” they shout “Oh shut up! Boo hoo I got shot” he mocked “Shut up unless you want to turn to dust!” before the rock and respond he burrows away and starts to collect himself.   
  
“That human... somehow, their determination overpowers mine.” He begins to lose his cool; he’s lost his saves, the only thing going for him. But that thought quickly leaves his mind. “Oh,” he grins manically “This makes everything so much more interesting!” He almost dances with glee at this realization. Finally, a new toy to play with! This is going to be so much fun!   
  
\------------------------------------------------   
Frisk’s POV   
\------------------------------------------------   
  
You start walking through the Ruins, and start to think... “Why IS Papyrus in the Ruins, anyways.” You think“Everything is the same as always with the exception of Papyrus being in the Ruins, but it's not like he acts like Toriel either... He still acts like the same old Great Papyrus.”You’re about to continue before you suddenly fall down the pitfall.   
  
_“Hah nice one, Frisk.”_ they remark _“Papyrus isn’t the only_ _one who hasn’t changed, you’re still a huge klutz!”_

You get flustered as you start climbing back up “Hey, that was calculated!” you argue “I knew that trap would be there I was just saving time!” _“_ _Suuure_ _”_ they say as they roll their eyes.   
  
“But you’re not wrong. Let’s hurry up to Papyrus’ house, I guess.” they suggest. You nod again walking towards the room with the rock puzzle.

You push all of the rocks before going to the rock monster, but as you touch them, they start sobbing “You want me to move, huh?! Like everybody else wants me to?!” You’re taken aback by this sudden anger“Huh?” you squeak.   
  
“FINE I’LL STEP ON THE PLATE!” they yell. Before you can try to console them, they step on the plate, which makes the spikes lower. You feel really bad _“Wow,”_ Chara chuckles _“How could you do this to Mr. Rock, you monster!”_ _._   
  
You run to the rock monster “Hey I’m really sorry... Have you been having a rough day?” you ask apologetically. “Not like you would understand...” they mumble.

Wow, now you feel terrible “I’m so sorry, I thought you were just a normal rock , ” you l ie “and besides... The way you finished that puzzle really  ** rocked. ** “

They start to  chuckl e a bit “Oh geez, I’m sorry for that,” they sniffle “Just been having a hard day. S ome Flower threw some pellets at me and before I could ask him why, he threatened to dust me.”

You and Chara just look at each other and shrug “ before saying goodbye to the rock and passing to the next room.   
  
\------------------------------------------------------   
Flowey’s POV   
\------------------------------------------------------   
  
Flowey pops up at Papyrus’ house and starts to look inside “Toriel!” he calls. Nothing but silence... “Even without the human arriving Papyrus being in the Ruins is strange.” he admits before opening the door and leaning in. It smells like... Spaghetti? “That old hag would never let anybody inside, no matter how many people I sent to her door.” he thinks    
  
He bets Sans is worried about Papyrus’ whereabouts. But then again, Sans would surely know if his brother would be in the Ruins, considering his relationship with the hag.

Flowey decides to go to Snowdin to scare Sans “No matter how many times I threaten him with Papyrus, It never gets old” He laughs.   
  
He arrives at Skeletons’ house and knocks at the door, snickering. But Sans doesn’t open it up, instead it’s... Him...? 

“Oh, hey there Boogie!” he says nonchalantly “I haven’t seen you in, like, 2 months! How are you doing?”   
  
Flowey can’t move, he just looks at Asriel, completely bewildered. “W-What the hell?!” he shrieks. A voice from the back of the room asks “Hey, Rei-” they say, before being interrupted “Don’t call me that!”. “Sorry, Great Deity,” They say sarcastically “Anyways, Who’s that at the door?”   
  
Flowey mutters “Chara...?” before burrowing again. Asriel, still looking back “This is the friend that I’ve been telling you about! His name is Boogie!” he yells back “Look, he’s rea-”

Chara, now at the door looks out the door then to Asriel “Um, where is he?” they question. “He was right here! I guess he’s a bit shy.” Asriel assumes   
  
After burrowing away Flowey arrives at Waterfall “What the hell does this mean?!” he asks himself   
“That was Chara, wasn’t it?” he starts to laugh.He has no idea how he ended up in such a timeline but he’s happy nonetheless.

“It was getting really boring, too!” hecackles “First the human, now this?” One thing’s for sure: he will not be bored in a LONG time.   
  
\-------------------------------------------------   
Frisk’s POV   
\-------------------------------------------------   
  
_“Can’t say I’m surprised that Flowey did that,”_ they admit _“_ _You think_ _he d_ _id_ _that every time?”_. You wonder about that as you walk through the maze that you’ve done so many times.   
  
You finish the maze and immediately upon entering the next room you get a phone call from Papyrus. “HUMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING”    
  
“Yeah, what is it, Papyrus? You ask “DO YOU PREFER SPAGHETTI OR GNOCCHI?” Chara immediately replies with gnocchi and you just stare at them with a look that says “Seriously?” You answer Papyrus with “I prefer Spaghetti!”   
  
“EXCELLENT!!! GOODBYE HUMAN!” He says before hanging up. You walk to the next room, which is where the mousehole and SAVE point are, and touch the SAVE point “Maybe the mouse really will get the cheese in this timeline” Chara wonders “You’re filled with determination.” 

_HP FULLY RESTORED_   
*FILE SAVED*   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also yeah, I noticed that I accidentally put the rock room a bit early. Sorry!


	3. An Awkward Encouter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara and Frisk make it through the remainder of the Ruins and enter Papyrus' home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried to make this one a bit longer.

You walk to the next room where you find a pile of leaves with walls on either side. On the pile of leaves lies a monster with what looks like a bedsheet on them. “Uh,” you ask awkwardly “Could you move aside, please?”. The monster mumbles a bit before sinking even lower _“Just_ _move them already._ _”_ Chara begs.   
  
You hesitantly push the monster and they jump up, pushing the bedsheet off of themselves. The identity of the monster is... Alphys. _“Huh._ _“_ Chara mutters. “Oh my g-god I’m sorry..” cries Alphys as bolts start materializing all around her.   
  
You are a bit surprised by the sudden FIGHT so you get hit by a couple of bolts. You try to calm her down “Hey, that’s ok,” You say, trying to be cheerful “I just need to, uh, get through!”. Alphys starts to mumble again “Oh god, I ruin everything. I-I’m the worst...”   
  
_“Wo_ _ah_ _, this_ _Alphys_ _has an even lower self-esteem than our_ _Alphys_ _!”_ Chara says, laughing. You give Chara a mean look before trying to calm Alphys down again.

“N-No,” you stutter “It’s ok! Your bullet patterns are really, um, _lightning_ my day!” Chara starts laughing hysterically _“Really?? That’s the best you could come up with?”_ You look at them offended “I tried!” you whisper.   
  
“H-Heh...” she chuckles “C-Can I show you s-something?” You nod at her and she quickly runs out of sight and comes back with a robot torso “I m-made this robot torso a while b-back... Do you l-like it?”   
  
You look at Alphys right in the eyes and say “Woah, that’s really impressive!” Alphys blushes from the compliment “I normally come to the Ruins to avoid s-screwing everything up, but I didn’t screw a-anything up today.”   
  
“Well I-I'll, uh, get out of your way now, b-bye!” she says before running off. _“Well look at_ _the silver tongue here!”_ Chara chuckles. You look at them with a hint of skepticism “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.”

  
_“Well, you didn’t even die once,”_ They say dryly _“So_ _I was_ _only half sarcastic!”_ You sigh as you walk past the leaves and see a sign that says “A Very Nice Bakesale” with an arrow pointing towards a room, which, admittedly, smells good.

You walk into the room where there is a sign that says: 

**7g for a** **nicecream**   
****

** 11g for a  ** ** nicecream ** ** sandwich **

You decide on the nicecream sandwich and put down 11g in a bowl that already has some g in it. After putting the gold in, a nicecream sandwich is dispensed from a spot that you previously did not notice. _“Hey, steal the gold.”_ Chara says smirking. You just pretend not to hear them and walk out of the room. _“Rude!”_ they yell as you start eating the nicecream sandwich.   


Chara’s protests echoing through the air, you enter a largely empty room,barring a few froggits. You quickly move towards the next room, as you have already been through this room tens of times. _“Wait up, damn it!”_ they yell as they fly towards you _“Tsk_ _._ _I_ _gnoring me, are we?”_ You shrug as you enter the next room.   
  
“I mean, I kindaexpected something like that coming from you.” you state. Chara scoffs “Yeah yeah, let’s just get a move on.” You inspect the sign, and it is just about the same as it normally is, albeit written in Papyrus font and fully capitalized. You go into autopilot doing the sequence of puzzles and eventually enter a long hallway with a crossroad.   
  
You don’t need a weapon, so you skip going all the way down the hall and instead turn left where you bump right into Papyrus “SORRY, I WAS NOT LOOKING WHERE I WAS GOI- OH HELLO HUMAN!!” he beams “I WAS EXPECTING TO MEET YOU HALF-WAY THROUGH AND ASSIST YOU WITH THE PUZZLES... BUT YOU HAVE MANAGED THEM ALL BY YOURSELF!”   
  
You blush a bit at the indirect compliment and follow Papyrus when he motions you to follow him. “HUMAN, I HAVE A SUPRISE FOR YOU!” he practically sings as he runs into his home. Before entering his home, you touch the SAVE point. 

_“The pros_ _pect of discovering Papyrus’ surprise fills you with determination.”_   
_HP FULLY RESTORED_   
FILE SAVED   
  
You walk into Papyrus’ home and smell a very nice tomato sauce. “HUMAN, I PREPAREDYOUR OWN ROOM, YOU MAY STAY HERE FOR AS LONG AS YOU WISH!” He says, motioning you to follow him once more. “HERE IT IS, YOU MAY TAKE YOUR TIME INSPECTING IT! I SHALL CHECK ON THE LASAGN\- I MEANT TO SAY AVERAGE FOOD THAT IS BEING COOKED, YES.”   
  
_“Hmm,”_ You hear Chara mumbling something _“Well I honestly expected something a bit different, you know... I mean, this is ex_ _actly like_ _Toriel’s_ _house!”_ You nod while walking into your room “I’m going to take my nap.” you murmur sheepishly “Good night, Snow White” Chara chuckles.   
  
You collapse into the bed and fall asleep almost instantly. You wake up to a very good smell in your room and look to see a plate with a square of freshly made lasagna on it. _“Been waiting, like, an hour for you to wake up and eat it already!”_ Chara yells jokingly “Thanks for not waking me up.” you say as you pick up the plate and fork and start digging in.   
  
It tastes incredible, the cheese, dough and sauce are perfectly balanced together, none being too overwhelming, and the texture of the lasagna is simply heavenly. “Holy shit.” you blurt out, but you don’t care because this is **heavenly** “This pasta got the chief of the Anti-Swear Police Department to swear?!” Chara mocks, albeit a little poorly since they can also taste pasta.   
  
You walk out of your room, very full of energy from the lasagna. “A Papyrus who can cook something not only edible but amazing...? Impossible!” They chuckle. You walk to the living room to see Papyrus on a rocking chair, writing blueprints for a puzzle. “HELLO HUMAN!!!” He greets “HOW WAS YOUR NAP?”. You nod at him “The nap was really nice, Papyrus!”   
  
“But Papyrus,” you say, beaming “that lasagna was the best pasta I've ever had!” Papyrus looks at you a little cluelessly and starts to blush “WELL OF COURSE I KNEW THAT!”  He jumps out of his chair and looks at you a bit nervously “AT FIRST, I WANTED TO MAKE SPAGHETTI BUT I REALIZED I DIDN’T HAVE ANY NOODLES, SO I MADE LASAGNE INSTEAD!” Papyrus admits.   
  
You smell the lasagna from the kitchen and you’re naturally drawn to it “HUMAN, YOU LIKE ANOTHER SQUARE, RIGHT?” Papyrus asks. “Heck yeah!” you enthusiastically respond.   
  
Papyrus cuts a slice for you and puts it on a plate. You smile gleefully at the lasagna before eating it at lightning speed “SLOWDOWN, HUMAN!” he says, alarmed. “YOU HAVEN’T EVEN REACHED THE TA-”    
  
_“Wow, Frisk._ _.._ _”_ Chara snickers _“You_ _’re an_ _absolute machine.”_ You look down at the actions no man could have created as sirens scream your name. “WELL, THAT WAS CERTAINLY SOMETHING!” Papyrus says either impressed, shocked or disgusted... Maybe all three. You apologize before heading back to your room, as its late.   
  
“Chara,” you murmur “let’s sneak out tonight. If Papyrus is anything like, uh, our Toriel... He’ll try to stop us from escaping.” Chara looks at you with a smirk and nods. Several hours pass as you prepare yourself to leave. Before leaving you leave out a note, which reads: Going to explore the Ruins a bit because I can’t sleep. “I mean, I'm not lying about the explore part” you say. _“_ _Well,_ _I hope Papyrus doesn’t take this too hard_ _, let’s go.”_ Chara says, a bit sleepy.   
  
You tiptoe through the house, remembering all the squeaky spots from all the times you decided to try to sneak out without Toriel knowing. You start walking down the steps, through the basement to the door and open it.   
  
You keep walking towards the door that leads to Snowdin, but you’re stopped by a certain yellow flower in the middle of the path.   
  
“Howdy!”   
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "actions no man could have created" part is a reference to a meme.  
> Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHwq8PVYNEU


	4. Two Sets of Siblings

“Clever,” Flowey says,a malicious grin on his face “Veeeery clever.”His smile widens as he continues “So, you snuck away while he was asleep, huh?” he asked rhetorically. “How long will it be until you’re forced to kill somebody?” he once again asks “You won’t be able to just ignore everyone who tries to kill you, like you did with Papyrus.”   
  
“You wanna bet?” you ask with a smirk on your face. Flowey looks at you, annoyed “All the monsters in the Ruins are pushovers and out here, there’s a royal guard with plenty of people more than willing to kill a human.” His annoyed expression is replaced by a sinister smile “Even civiliansare dangerous, they can easily alert a member of the Royal Guard, they’ll be especially eager since your soul is the seventh... So, what will you do?”   
  
_“If only he knew, if only he knew.”_ Chara says chuckling. You shrug at Flowey “I’ll be fine, I bet I won’t even die once!” you boast. Flowey looks at you a bit confused “How do you know about that when you haven’t even died ye-” he tries to ask, before getting caught off “Exactly!”   
  
Flowey’s face is blank before shifting into his casual smile “My point still stands, what if you’re met with a relentless killer, you’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die. Until you tire of it.” Vines come out of the ground while his face contorts into the face of a massive beast “Will you kill out of frustration, or will you give up?”    
  
“It doesn’t matter much to me, though.” he says with a cute smile “I certainly won’t be bored!” He then laughs maniacally before burrowing back underground. You walk towards the door to Snowdin “You think anyone will greet us this time?” you wonder. _“If nobody greet_ _s_ _you, I'll make sure to greet you if you’re feeling too lonely.”_ says Chara, a bit smug. A grin begins to form on your face “Hey, I'm not THAT desperate.” you smirk. 

_ “Wow, rude.” _ they scoff.

You walk outside of the Ruins and decide to check if there’s still a camera hidden in the bushes. Sure enough, the camera’s there and you do a funny face in front of it before walking off. You stride through the path, looking around to see if somebody is following you. You notice a silluette behind you, but it disappears before you get a good look at it.    
  
_“Your_ _wish_ _has been granted.”_ Chara says dramatically. You chuckle a bit and continue going down the path until you’re met with a wooden gate and a bridge that goes over a gap. “Human...” the oddly familiar voice says as the figure slowly walks behind you “Don’t you know how to greet a new friend?” You look at Chara expecting their mouth to be open. Weird... that IS their voice...   
  
“Turn around and shake my hand.” the figure says. You turn around and grab the figure’s very... slimy hand before looking at their face. “Heh, whoever threw out those ketchup packets are missing out big time.” You look at Chara completely dumbfounded “Uh, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Chara says, “You okay?”   
  
_“Excuse me, WHAT?!”_ your ghost friend questions, completely bewildered “When I said that I'd greet you, I didn’t mean anything like this!” You look at incorporeal Chara and corporeal Chara “Um...” you say awkwardly. “Bet you didn’t expect another human in the Underground, huh.” corporeal Chara remarks. “Y-Yeah,” you confirm, technically telling the truth “I thought humans are meant to be killed down here.”   
  
“Well, the king made an exception for yours truly.” Chara says while winking. “Anyways, mirror, the name’s Chara, Chara the human.” You look at them and slowly nod “It’s, uh, nice to meet you Chara.”   
  
_“_ _I never thought I'd see me here, and still alive.”_ Chara says, a bit shaken _“_ _Does this mean that A_ _z_ _-”_   
“I’m supposed to be a lookout for humans, you know.” the other Chara says, cutting off your ghastly friend “Fight fire with fire.” You look at them skeptically “But you seem fine, and I need a teammate.”   
  
“See, me and my brother, Asriel, have an ongoing Human vs Monster prank war and you’ll be the one to tip the scales in my favor.” They announce. Your Chara is absolutely beaming at the news that Asriel is alive in this timeline. If Asriel is alive in this timeline, then who is Flowey? “Hey actually,” the other Chara interrupts “I think that’s him coming up, follow me, mirror.”   
  
You follow Chara along the bridge and down the path towards a more open area, when suddenly “Chara!” You hear Asriel say, his voice growing loader with each step “You still think you beat me with that last prank?!” You’re frozen, after so many resets of trying to save Asriel, so he could be happy, seeing him happy like this almost makes you cry, but you shake your head to prevent the tears.   
  
_“Who knew all we had to do was reset enough to break the timeline?”_ Your Chara says shakily, trying to relieve the tension. _“That’s his smile, you know...”_ Chara says tearfully _“Not the fake_ _, pained_ _one he puts on after your fights_ _, it’s his real smile.”_ You’ve been staring at Asriel for a while now, completely oblivious to any sound.   


“Uh, mirror?” the other Chara asks, concerned “Are you SURE that you’re okay?” You blink and look to Chara, nodding “Sorry Chara, goats are my favorite animals, you know.” Chara looks at you skeptically “Chara, what is a goat?” Asriel asks. “Oh, uh, It’s an animal on the surface that looks a lot like you, mom and dad. “ Chararesponds.   
  
“Well Chara,” Asriel says while shrugging “I will prepare puzzles for the human.” He then looks at you at you and starts a... villainous laugh, you think. “Bahahahaha, poor mortal! Your very sanity will be tested by these puzzles, good luck!” he warns, before running off into the woods.   
  
“That went about how I expected it to, I'll meet you up ahead.” the other Chara says before vanishing into thin air, only leaving little red particles. Excuse me, what? Chara can teleport?! How, why?! Your Chara starts to chuckle proudly _“Tch,_ _guess I can’t expect a mere commoner to understand,_ _I am a magician_ _, know your place!_ _”_ You start to laugh “Meh, I don’t think I'll question it, Chara.” you say, shrugging “maaaaaagic.”   
  
You walk to the next area and see Chara sitting right next to a SAVE point motioning you to go to them “Thought so,” they say, a bit concerned as you walk closer “Mirror, do you know what these are?” Chara points to the save point and you nod “Yeah, I used to have this power before you.” They say, before chuckling “You’ve got to be a LOT more determined than me, ‘cause I can’t even contest your control.”   
  
“Well?” they ask, pointing at the star “You gonna SAVE?” You nod nervously before touching the SAVE point _“_ _M_ _eeting somebody_ _who remembers fills you with determination_ _”_ your Chara says.   


_HP FULLY RESTORED_   
*FILE SAVED*    
  
“Uhm,” the other Chara says looking directly at where the ghastly Chara is “I swear I just saw me floating there for a second. Mumbling something about remembering...” You look wide-eyed at the other Chara _“Okay now people can see me?!”_ your Chara questions _“What the HELL did we_ _do to the timeline?!”_   
  
“You saw yourself floating there?” you ask the other Chara, pointing to the sky. “Yeah, for some reason ‘I’ was wearing stripes.” they say a bit confused. The other Chara looks to you accusingly “You know about this power, but I haven't felt a single LOAD... You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”   
  
“Whatever,” the other Chara says tensely “See you.” Wow, this Chara is really perceptive, nothing like the Chara you know. _“HEY, I_ _HEARD YOU THINKING_ _THAT.”_ Your Chara says a little hurt _“What do you mean I’m not perceptive?!”_. You turn to them “it’s exactly as it sounds.” you reply.   
  
_“Okay, let’s just get a move on!”_ They say, clearly annoyed.   
  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------\-------------------------------------------------------   
  
Flowey, who is hiding in the woods, has been watching the whole time. “This human... the entire time, they seemed just as shocked as I was.” Flowey mumbles. “This human is from my timeline and they...!” He goes wide-eyed. “They’ve been through the underground before, haven’t they?”   
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
_“Frisk,_ _be careful, the other me is dangerous_ _.”_ Chara warns. “Ok.” You whisper as you walk to the next area. You walk down the empty path expecting the siblings to be there and shrug in mild disappointment as you advance. You arrive in yet another more open part of the woods to find a wooden sentry station. On it there’s a note that reads:   
  
**“The station of the great successor to the captain of the Royal Guard!** **The God of** **Hyperdeath** **will surely bring peace and prosperity to the Underground upon inheriting this position.** **”**   
**“Oh, how awful he must feel, completely outshining all of** **Snowdin! There’s simply too much glory to bask in!”**   
  
There’s a little space under the message leading to a smaller note that reads:   
  
**“** **PS: Still not confirmed that the God of** **Hyperdeath** **will inherit the position** **.** **”**

Upon reading this, Chara immediately begins to laugh hysterically “PFFT, even across timelines he still uses the same OC, That’s hilarious!” You can’t help but laugh alongside them. After a minute, the two of you, now only giggling decide to advance.   
  
You approach yet another sentry and as you pass you heard a voice “Did something move? Was it my imagination?” Doggo wonders “I can only see moving things.”   
  
“If something WAS moving... For example, a human... I’ll make sure it NEVER moves again!” he announces before pulling you into a fight. _“At least SOME things never change.”_ Chara comments.   
  
“DON’T MOVE AN INCH!” Doggo warns. You heed his warning and don’t move an inch. The cyan blade goes right through you giving you a feeling similar to butterflies. You rush at Doggo full speed which startles him, he goes to guard the ‘attack’ only to be pet. “WHAT!!! I’VE BEEN PET!!!    
  
He goes for another slash with his cyan dagger which, once again, phases right through you. You dash towards him again and pet him another time for good measure. “POT? PAT? PET?” He asks himself nervously. You continue relentlessly petting him “WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM! THERE’S NO END TO IT” you spare him and he turns back.   
  
“Something petted me... Something that isn’t moving... I’m gonna need dog treats for this!!” You stop to catch your breath for a second before continuing through Snowdin Forest. 

Another opening reveals an ice sheet with 2 paths, first, you go up to pick up the snowpiece, then you continue down the path. _“Do you really have to do that every time?”_ Chara asks. “The poor guy can’t move! How could I, as a decent person, leave him?” you retort. _“Whatever, weirdo.”_   
  
You move on to the next room, revealing Asriel and Chara standing at the other side of the room. “Human, I’ve prepared this puzzle for you! Created by the genius Dr. Dreemurr-”    
  
“Azzy, you don’t have to call DadDreemurr, you know.” Chara remarks. “I do if I want to become the Captai\- Hey, what have I told you about that nickname!” He exclaims bashfully. “Sorry, oh great deity.” Chara says snickering. “Ahem, human!” Asriel says proudly, throwing the orb in your direction. “This puzzle is an invisible electric maze, designed to prank you! Actually, before you start the puzzle, take this orb!”   
  
You did not expect Asriel to be so good at throwing, the orb nailed you right in the head, making a very loud THUD and knocking you over. **“** S **e** r **io** _u_ ** _sl_** _y?_ ** _!_** _”_ you hear both Charas say,howling with laughter. “Uuugh,” you groan, lifting yourself off of the ground.   
  
Well, at least this is something new, you’ve never actually done the maze before. You go into the maze holding orb in your hands. You try the same path Papyrus always does and, well this maze is exactly the same! _“So much for something new, huh.”_ Your Chara comments.   
  
“How did you figure it out so quickly!?” Asriel asks, frustrated “The machine must be broken!”   
“Ah, whatever, you’re toast next time, mortal!” Asriel exclaims, running off into the distance. The other Chara gazes at you with an... interesting smile. “Broken, huh.” they say before once again vanishing into thin air.   
  
_“_ _Mmm_ _,”_ Your Chara mutters _“Maybe you should have at least pretended to not know the solution.”_ You sigh “In my defense, I thought it’d be different from Papyrus’ maze.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if the Snowman is genderless or not, probably meant to be a guy considering he's a "Snowman".  
> At this point, SS!Chara is very wary of Frisk and Flowey's theory has been confirmed because of Frisk saying something about Papyrus' maze.


	5. Ice Cold

Chara’s angry at your carelessness _“The other me is seriously bad news, you know!”_ They shout, half worried and half angry _“I bet they’re the judge_ _in this timeline like Sans was!”_   
  
“Look,” you interject “We can SAVE and LOAD, even if the other you remembers, there isn’t that much they can do about it. And I don’t think they’ll attack us unless we kill some monsters.”    
  
This conversation does an excellent job of hiding a certain golden flower that’s only a few meters away from you. “Ahem,” Flowey says, clearing his throat. You stop mid-sentence and blink at Chara, before turning behind you. “Buddy, I don’t think this is your first time going through the Underground.” Flowey chirps, winking “And who in the world are you talking to anyway?”   
  
“I was, uh, talking to my imaginary friend,” you say a little shook. “Really?” Flowey asks “What’s your friend’s name?”   
  
“C-Clara.” you stammer out.   
_“Tell him that you’ve got to get a move on, that you’re freezing!”_ Chara quickly suggests. “Actually Flowey, I'm really freezing here see you later!” you say as you run at top speed. “Ah, Ah, Ah~ not so fast, kid.” Flowey says maliciously, as he grabs your limbs with his vines.   
  
“Answer my question,” Flowey demands, his voice getting more venomous with each word “How many times have you gone through the Underground.”    
  
“Why should I tell you?” you ask childishly “None of your business!” Flowey’s vines constrict your limbs “Oh buddy,” He growls demonically “This is DEFINETELY my business!” At this point, Chara is at a loss forwhat to do.    
  
“Frisk, switch with me!” They hastily suggest. “I’ll give you on the count of 5 to answer me, if you don’t answer,I’ll rip you to bloody pieces!’ He spits “With each death I'll make the next one more and more painful!!”   
  
“5...”   
  
_“_ _Damn!_ _”_   
  
“4...”   
  
“3...”   
  
“2...”   
  
“1...”   
  
“Ok,” he says with glee “Your choice!” He rips off all of your limbs at once before plunging a vine into your heart. The last thing you see is bloodstained snow before everything turns dark.   
  
“HOLY SH-,” Chara shouts out “I mean, uh, stayed determined!”   
  
Suddenly, you’re back at your save point, gasping for air. Before you can fully catch your breath, you’re met with a familiar golden friend. “Howdy, ready for round two?” He laughs wickedly “CauseI sure am!”   
  
Instantly, your limbs are once again caught by the vines. _“Frisk, this is really, really bad!_ ” Chara says, panicking. “You didn’t seem to get the memo last time, so how many times have you been through the Underground?” You try to wriggle but the vines constrict you even harder. “Enough... To know that you’re a total... prick.” You say with a pained smile. “Guess you like things the hard way, then!~”   
  
This time he decides to switch it up, pulling each limb off one by one. Your screams fill the air, with every limb torn off, you get closer and closer to unconsciousness. Finally, the last limb is torn off, leaving you completely unresponsive.   
  
“Come on, we’re just getting started!” He squeals with glee as he finishes you off. _“That..._ _shithead_ _...”_ you hear Chara groanteary-eyed before everything goes dark.   
  
“Frisk, be ready to run as soon as you’re back.” They suggest, desperation in their voice.   
  
Right as you’re back at your SAVE point, you try to sprint away full speed but Flowey’s burrow completely outspeeds you. “OK, third time’s the charm.” he chuckles, as vines wrap around your limbs“How many times have you been through the underground?” You look directly at him, you’re about to speak but instead, you spit on his face.   
  
“Alright, buddy... New question.” Flowey says very clearly annoyed **“Have you heard of 1000 cuts?”** You look in horror as new vines pop out of the ground, complete with thorns “So you have? That’s fantastic!”    
Flowey cuts and cuts and cuts and cuts, each cut with more searing pain than the last. Chara takes the pain for a while, but they eventually pass out, leaving you with fresh pain after the small break. This continues until your screams are nothing more than groans. Flowey notices Asriel staring at this completely frozen. Before you can protest, you and Asriel are impaled by a vine.   
  
Everything once again turns dark. And you wake up back at the save point. This time you try to hide in the forest, but he catches you again “How many times have you been through the Underground?” You dread what he’s come up with, so you start to answer “Seventy fi-” You answer voice hoarse with emotion before Chara shuts your mouth for you. “Kiss my ass.”   
  
“Then this...This is YOUR fault, isn’t it?” He says, clearly very excited. “I should be thanking you for what you did to the timeline, but instead, I think I’ll slowlybut surely get rid of your determination.” Your stomach sinks and your expression clearly shows it.   
  
“D I E.” he says, laughing maniacally as what must be hundreds of bullets come your way. Tears start to stream down your face _“Don’t worry I'll figure_ _SOMETHING out..._ _”_ You hear Chara saywith fake confidence.   
  
Before they hit their mark, they glow a crimson red and disappear. “You know, for someone who hasn’t died a single time, LOADing 3 times so quickly is a little suspicious.”A familiar voice says.   
  
“You again?” the other Chara hisses “I’d recommend you run away, **weed** , last I checked I'm strongerthan you.” Flowey freezes for a second, before regaining his signature smile. “Anything for you, Chara!” he chirps before burrowing back underground, freeing you.   
  
Chara looks at you concerned “Mirror, let’s get you to a SAVE point you’re pale.” Your Chara, who is currently in control of your body weakly nods. Alive Chara offers a hand to their not-so alive counterpart, which they accept before touching the SAVE point. 

“Wow,” you say, sighing “That was rough but we’re through the worst of it now, stay determined!”   
  
_*HP FULLY RESTORED_   
*FILE SAVED   
  
You swap with Chara and now you’re back in control of your body.“How did you know where w-” You quickly correct yourself “I was?” The other Chara scoffs at the question “Preeeetty sure I heard screams coming from here after the first and second LOAD.”   
  
“You owe me an explanation, I mean, I DID save you.” They say condescendingly. You gulp _“Way to make a traumatized person_ _feel_ _safe.”_ your ghostly friend remarks.“First, we’ll need some privacy.” they say before they take your hand. A sudden darkness envelops you and suddenly, you’re in some sort of Café.   
  
“Welcome to my favorite café, Gerson's.” They say in a welcoming voice, suddenly their voice goes serious “How do you know that flower?” You give your best innocent look “He was the first monster I met down here, attacked me on the spo-” you try to explain but they cut you off. “Truth is, I stayed and listened behind some bushes before I saved you.”   
  
“Something is all your fault?” they question “Did something with the timeline, did you?” You look at them blankly and look at Chara with one eye. _“Tell them_ _the bare minimum_ _.”_ Ghost Chara suggests. “Flowey and I are from a different timeline.” you say flatly.   
  
They look thoughtful for a while but eventually their face changes to one of agreement. “Flowey, huh... The weed DID seem a little different, not to mention being called Flowey.”You look at them with a confused look “Me and that bastard flower, Boogie, have been in a determination tug of war for years.” They answer. So that’s where the familiarity came from...   
  
“And let me guess, the Chara that I saw from when you saved is the Chara from your timeline...” they say, winking. “Won’t even ask how they got themselves into that predicament.”   
  
“Wow you nailed that; my Chara isn’t nearly as smart as you.” You remark, a sly grin on your face. _“YOU_ _WANNA PASS THAT BY ME AGAIN?!_ ” they shout angerly,you giggle at their reaction.   
  
“Well, I'll let you go for now; take my hand we’re going back to the SAVE point.” they announce with a shrug “Wouldn’t want the God of Hyperdeathto prepare those pranks only for no one to arrive.” You look at them a little concerned “What if Flowey comes back?”   
  
“Don’t worry, I'll keep an eye on you.” They say reassuringly.   
  
All of a sudden, you’re back at the SAVE point. You hear Clever Charasay goodbye andbefore you can say goodbye back, they’re already gone. _“Well, that just_ _happened.”_ Not-So-Clever Chara says dryly.   
  
You go through everything the same way you did last time, careful not to change anything at all, you even let yourself be hit with the orb. Before you know it, you’re back at the place where you first died. _“Ah, the nostalgia~,”_ Chara remarks sarcastically _“Such good memories com_ _e_ _from this place_ _, you know_ _!”_   
  
“You come here a lot with Asriel?” You ask before the realization hits you. “Oh,veeery funny Chara.” You walk down a bit and notice Muffet murmuring to herself “Oh, dear, I’d imagine pastries would be fitting for such a climate...”   
  
You walk a little closer and Muffet notices you “Oh, hello!” She exclaims energetically “Deary me~, it has been a long time since I've gotten a customer... Would you like anything?”   
  
You look at her selection and see affordable prices! “Could I have 2 spider donuts, please?” you ask politely. She nods and brings out two donuts and a napkin “The total is 30g.” You hand over the 30 g and take your donuts. “Goodbye, darling customer!” She says, waving to you as you walk southwards.   
  
“Hey, can I have control?” Charaasks eagerly. “Any reason in particular?” you question. “I’m pretty bored Frisk, I want some of the action!” they say like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Fair enough... Fair enough... Ok go ahead.” you say with a smudge of guilt.   
  
They take control of your body and now you’re the ghost. “Ooooo~,” You saymischievously “I will haunt you till the end of time!” They giggle at your ghost impression before continuing southwards.    
  
“What’s that smell?” you hear a voice say,    
“Where’s that smell?” Another voice says.   
  
“If you’re a smell...” The voice you now recognize as Dogaressa’s says,   
“Then, Identify yoursmelf!” Dogamy shouts out.   
  
Chara is pulled into a fight _“Here we go again.”_ they grumble. Chara immediately dolphin dives into a nearby expanse of mud. Dogaressa and Dogamy are a bit confused by the sudden motion but attack nonetheless, swinging their axes in a pattern. “H-Hold on!” Chara pleads “I’m not a human, smell me!”    
  
Dogamy and Dogaressa look to each other and nod, approaching with the intention of re-examining the smell. “You’re... a weird puppy?” the pair questions in unison. Chara walks towards them “Yeah.” They smirk as they pet Dogaressa. “Wow!! Pet by another pup!!” Dogaressa cheers.    
  
“Well. Don’t leave me out!” Dogamysays enthusiastically. “I wouldn’t dream of it!” They remark. After the session of petting, Dogaressa and Dogamy decide to leave Chara alone “A whole new world has opened up for us...”   
  
“Nicely done.” you comment. They shrug as they walk towards a puzzle with a sign next to it.  It reads:   
  
**Turn the** **X’s** **into O’s, then press the plate.**   
  
_“And here I was hoping for a new puzzle, I mean I've seen this puzzle like a hundred times!”_ They exclaim with mild disgust. They rush through the puzzle grumbling insults and swear words, they finish the puzzle and start walking towards the next area “Damn this is some serious bullshit...” They say without noticing the goat child right beside them.   
  
“Um, what is this “bullshit”?” He asks innocently. Chara looks up a little disoriented from seeing their brother alive and well in front of them, as well as disoriented for swearing in front of him. _“_ _Ah, um...”_ They mumble.    
  
Suddenly Chara appears next to Asriel “It’s a word that mortals use, completely unfitting for a god such as yourself to even know the meaning of!” The other Chara explains, giving their counterpart a mean glare.   
  
“Oh, why of course!” Asriel says confidently “Thank you for warning me, Chara... Such mortal language should never be spoken by a deity!”   
  
Both Charas breathe a sigh of relief. “Anyways, human. This puzzle is an X, O puzzle made in the shape of my face, you will simply never get past it!” He says, beaming with pride. “Since you cleared the previous puzzle, I assume you understand the rules, yes?” Chara nods, confirming that they understand the rules.   
  
Asriel nods before laughing in their face “I feel sorry for you, human! You’ll be trapped here indefinitely, truly the best prank ever! ~”   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually re-did like half of the chapter, made things go by WAY too quickly.
> 
> Also, not too sure how to remove this thing at the bottom that says something about boogie not being there.

**Author's Note:**

> Flowey is the Flowey from Undertale, so no Boogie.


End file.
